How can we expect parliament to enact the necessary radical changes to our libel law unless we show good faith? Similarly, if we stop suing for libel, it might just give the public the confidence to backing a campaign to carry out reform.

However, we do need to accept a point made by the former director of public prosecutions - and Index on Censorship trustee - Ken Macdonald. People must have the right to defend their reputations against truly malicious and false allegations.

If a journalist is falsely called a paedophile or an anti-Semite, for example, it would be unfair to prevent them taking action against such malicious allegations.

Robertson has been arguing for at least 20 years that press self-regulation can never work. He was a noted critic of the old Press Council and has no time for the PCC.

If editors were to heed his call it would surely lead to the disintegration of the PCC. The danger of such a move would be a swift political response, with MPs calling for - and maybe even obtaining - a mandatory regulatory system.

I fear that it would lead to the enactment of a law that would have an even greater chilling effect than the libel law.